Well not much fluff, but maybe just a little.
I have about a dozen or so articles on my blog feed that are interesting to me and I want to blog about them and point them out, but I don’t have the time to develop too much around them. With that being said, here is a lovely link dump on various topics.
Joe at Evangelical Outpost says that the issue is color blind justice when talking about the “Jena 6,” but that much of the talk is calling for an injustice based on race.
There for awhile prisoners could not read the dangerous idea of 40 days of purpose or several other ideas coming from non-approved religious books in prison libraries, but because so many from so many different sides reacted negatively to this case of “using a sledgehammer to swat a fly” the decision has been reversed.
Making enemy dictators smile and feel loved – your American press.
Shocking I know, but Planned Parenthood lied and the media praisedthem.
This actually was kind of shocking. When was the last time the IRS told you that you were wrong, but it was no big deal? I guess if you are a big liberal church, you can get away with that.
When in the South and running for the GOP Presidential nominee, do as the Baptists do or at least casually announce that despite what you have been saying for years, you are now a Baptist.
Having been a part of these promotional live “chats” before I found this hilarious.
Jesus goes to Gitmo – I guess it can be funnier than it sounds.
Hitchens is not great. In fact, he’s a liar, a scammer in it for the money and everything else he falsely accuses Billy Graham of being. Hitch needs to stick to what he knows and it apparently is not Billy Graham. But by trying to throw the ailing evangelist under the bus, Hitch guarantees himself more TV time and newspaper mentions and it seems that’s all he really cares about now. He lost integrity and honestly a long time ago.
The “big liberal church” you complain about above happens to the be church I once attended. While I didn’t hear the sermon in question, I did read it and found nothing in it which would favor one candidate over the other. It was critical of the war, and basically asked the question, what would Jesus say to the candidates. If a xian church cannot preach against war and those who wage it, what then is xianity good for? I think the IRS targeted them just because of their liberal views (how many conservative churches waging political war on gays get targeted by them?). I agree that their decision makes no sense at all. Something weird is going on.
btw: I think Hitch is great. It’s time someone stood up to evangelists who cozy up to powerful politicians who wage unjust wars (among other sins).
Can you use the My Two Cents category and naming scheme for link dumps? I
didn't create that category just for myself, but for links dumps. You can
go to the MY Two cents category to see the last number used and then use the next one.
And btw, I still don't have a new working email address for you. You can send it to me at twoorthreeblog at gmail dot com.
When’s the last time you heard a GOP candidate campaign directly from a church pulpit. It doesn’t happen very much if ever, but you regularly see Democratic candidates speaking from pulpits in church on Sunday. There is enough blame to go around here.
BTW, I’m glad the IRS ruled in favor of the church. I don’t think they should have done anything to them. I just found it odd that they said they did something wrong, but didn’t do anything about it. That’s not the IRS’ style.
As to Hitch, I have no problem with him hating on Christianity, blah, blah that he goes on. That’s his spiel and he does it well, whatever. But when tells out and out lies about someone, he goes over the line, especially when that someone is well respected by everyone and in the last days of his life.
Also, Graham has never made much political noise. You don’t find him lecturing on why the Iraq War was just, but you do find Hitch doing that, so I’m not sure your ire is directed in the right direction.
Hitch is a political analyst not a minister. He’s also a bit of a satirist.
btw: If you want to read the sermon in question go here.
I really think the gov’t was trying to punish them for their anti-war activism (btw2: they also criticized Clinton).